Matt Simpson: “It will become a tropical storm, even if for only 20 minutes. They are getting desperate to reach the number of “named storms” to match their predictions.”

This is another way of saying, “The National Hurricane Center is fraudulently naming storms.” Do you have anything to back up this claim other than shallow accusations? If this storm system doesn’t get named, will you come back here and publicly apologize for making such claims?

Gee whiz, I guess you would be the only one evacuating then…like last time. Joined the 450,000 cars on the Katy Freeway headed west out of Houston in a mass stoppage for pee breaks, food, and gas…leaving the Katy residents trapped inside their own city, unable to get supplies to ride it out, like 99% of them did.

I really enjoy the reports- and the fantastic science articles- but if the storm does not effect us- leave it alone- not news. Yes we need the rain- that would be awesome- just seems like the chron sometimes is hungry for weather news- “tropical storm forms!” where is it? in the Pacific ocean not affecting anyone heading east.

I understand that September 22 is first day of Fall. do you think we might get some cool weather during that year. And I know one time in month of October I think it was 1995 or so it rain and rain during month of October….

Thanks, Johnh. For a moment there, I was starting to get this weird idea that the world is a big place, and that so much of it exists outside my own backyard. I was developing this nagging suspicion that there was more to life than my own immediate surroundings. I’m glad you were here to remind me that anything beyond my own close border is inconsequential to the bigger picture.

The criteria for naming a storm are pretty strict: it has to have sustained winds of at least 39 miles an hour to be named. So no, I don’t think meteorologists are just arbitrarily naming tropical systems in a desperate attempt to reach their storm predictions.

Because their “highly confident” predictions for a busy hurricane season are obviously going to go down in flames, you can expect every cluster of thunderstorms in the tropics to be classified and named between now and November 30th. This hurricane season has been a total dud. Already September 6th and not even one hurricane yet. All depressions and tropical storms so far with an average life cycle of about 10 minutes. This was the first Labor Day I can remember in many, many years without at least one named storm active that day. (Gabrielle formed later in the week). That is almost completely unheard of. The problem we have is a bunch of arrogant, know it all “forecasters” who have convinced the world that they can predict approximate numbers of specific weather systems six months in advance. Hogwash! Most forecasters couldn’t tell you where a single thunderstorm will form a few hours in advance…much less months ahead of time. This advance hurricane prediction nonsense is the biggest con job ever sold to the public. As I’ve said before, if you just predict the average number of tropical storms/hurricanes that have occurred each year for the past 100 years, you will be right most of the time. That does not imply you have “skill”. It simply means you are betting the safest odds.

Wonder what happened to that high number of named storms we were supposed to have. We’re only on TD8…in the middle of September? I’m guessing the forecasters really just don’t have a clue about how active the season will be or there is commercial motivation behind the BS. The latter sounds plausible.

Eric, your headlines aren’t helping my blood pressure. I am right on the coast. I thought to myself, oh no I’m going to have to do this that and the other to prepare for a sudden storm. Then I find out after the jump it is going to Mexico. That right there is hyping up the weather my friend.